The Veteran's service-connected burn scar, right upper/lateral trunk and residual scars from other injuries are not rated higher than the current levels due to their nature.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not find any deep or productive limited motion in the burn scar, nor did they find limitation of function for the other scars. The highest rating available under Diagnostic Codes is 10% for each scar.
- Claimed conditions
- Burn Scar, Right Upper/Lateral Trunk, Residual Scar, Back at T5 Level, Residual Scar, Left Knee, Residual Scar, Right Thigh, Residual Scar, Right Calf
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2010
- Citation
- 1008172
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1008172.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is entitled to an earlier effective date of February 29, 2000, for an award of TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to his service-connected back and left knee disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted clothing allowances for a back brace and wheelchair, but denied them for a neck brace, bilateral knee braces, pain medication therapy, cane, and walker.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right or left knee disability, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.,The Board has also determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish a current diagnosis of bilateral dry eyes, rhinitis, or sleep apnea. The claims are being remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have been rated based on their specific functional limitations, with a 10 percent rating for instability of each knee from January 24, 2012 to January 5, 2023. The ratings were restored or granted effective January 5, 2023, and higher than 10 percent ratings have been denied.
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